Moist Banana Cake (Printable)
A soft, moist banana cake studded with nuts or chocolate chips, perfect for dessert or afternoon tea.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Components
01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)
02 - ½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
03 - ½ cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Components
06 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
10 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
→ Optional Mix-ins
11 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - ½ cup chocolate chips
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan, tapping out any excess flour.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth. Add the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, then beat together until well blended and creamy.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks remain to keep the cake tender.
05 - If using chopped nuts or chocolate chips, gently fold them into the batter until evenly distributed.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula to create an even layer.
07 - Bake on the center rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It uses pantry staples and turns bananas you were about to throw away into something genuinely special.
- The cake stays moist for days, which means it is one of those rare bakes that actually tastes better the next afternoon.
02 -
- Underripe bananas will leave pale fibrous streaks in the crumb and taste flat, so wait until the peels are mostly brown.
- Opening the oven door before the 30 minute mark can cause the center to collapse, so resist the urge to peek.
03 -
- If your bananas are not ripe enough, put them in a 150 degree C oven on a lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes until the skins blacken and the insides turn syrupy.
- Let the cake cool completely before covering it, because trapped steam is the enemy of that tender top crust you worked so hard to build.